Dirk Tomsa

What factors are limiting women’s representation in the national legislature? How can they be overcome? Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these issues and more with Ella Prihatini in the latest episode of Talking Indonesia.

Although opportunities for education remain limited for people with disability in Indonesia, some Islamic universities have taken steps to improve accessibility. In Talking Indonesia, Dr Dirk Tomsa chats to Dr Dina Afrianty about what pushed them to act, and the likelihood that others will follow.

The 2018 regional elections saw convincing wins for several young reform-minded local leaders. In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Dirk Tomsa speaks to one of these leaders, Dr Bima Arya Sugiarto, about the challenges of reform in an environment where corruption and patronage is widespread.

What explains the decline in manufacturing in Indonesia? Is the country experiencing a process of premature deindustrialisation? Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these and other questions with Dr Mohammad Zulfan Tadjoeddin in the latest episode of Talking Indonesia.

Why is blasphemy such a serious offence in Indonesia? What do recent blasphemy cases have in common and where do they differ? Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these issues and more with Dr Melissa Crouch in the latest episode of the Talking Indonesia podcast.

What prompts violent Islamist extremists to turn their backs on violence? What can governments and activists learn from patterns of disengagement? Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these issues and more with Associate Professor Julie Chernov Hwang in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

What prompted President Joko Widodo to declare a drug emergency in Indonesia? Have his hard-line policies achieved their intended results? And what is the future for drug policy in the country? Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these issues with Ricky Gunawan, director of LBH Masyarakat, in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

Why do Indonesian universities perform so poorly in global university rankings? What reforms have been attempted and why have they failed? Dr Dirk Tomsa explores these issues and more with Professor Andrew Rosser in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

Why has wildlife trafficking reached such enormous proportions in Indonesia? Who and what are the main drivers of the trade? And what initiatives exist to combat wildlife trafficking and enhance conservation efforts? In Talking Indonesia, Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these issues with Eleanor Paish, a zoologist and filmmaker from the University of West England, and Adam Miller, executive director and founder of Planet Indonesia.

Last month, Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama disappointed many of his supporters when he announced that he would run as a party-backed candidate in the 2017 election. Dr Dirk Tomsa takes a look at Teman Ahok, the volunteer group that campaigned for the governor to run as an independent. What’s next for Teman Ahok, now that its reason for being no longer exists?